The 152nd running of the Queen’s Plate will occur on Sunday, June 26, 2011 starting at 4:30 p.m. The Queen’s Plate is the first race of the season for Canada’s triple crown of thoroughbred horseracing; the Prince of Wales Stakes and the Breeders’ Stakes follow suit on July 17 and August 7, 2011, respectively. If you are not familiar with horse racing, the Queen’s Plate winners tend to be horses with pretty good odds; however, a muddy track from rainy weather can throw a horse off, thus many long-shots have won or placed second as a result of inclement weather. The weather forecast for June 26, 2011 in Toronto is sunny and 23° C so the weather at this point does not appear to favour long shots. If, however, you like living on the edge, you may want to consider the post-position 1 horse: Imhotep. Riding Imhotep is seasoned Toronto jockey Emile Ramsammy who has already won the Queen’s Plate on two occasions and Imhotep’s trainer is Todd Pletcher, who has won one Queen’s Plate. If you want to play it a bit safer, consider the 9-horse, Inglorious. The 3-year-old filly won the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks on June 5, 2011 and jockey Luis Contreras is Woodbine’s leading rider this season. Finally, the favourite, Check Your Soul, who starts from the 13th position, is bound to place in the top two as this horse is trained by one of Canada’s most successful trainers, Roger Attfield, who has trained eight Queen’s Plate winners. Good luck! May the dark horse win and winnings be large. Admission and general parking is free.
Woodbine Racetrack, 555 Rexdale Blvd. (east of Hwy 427), 1-888-675-RACE
